BarStoolSports.com
Didn't know about it, now I do. I think we are all better off now.
http://barstoolsports.com/
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
2009 Jaguar XKR With JaguarDrive - Dials and Switches
In the C-XF, the shift dial is rendered in solid aluminum and set within concentric polished aluminum rings, all of which are embedded flush with the transmission tunnel. The rings around the dial spiral downward, one by one, about an inch once the driver—or passenger, we suppose—presses the throbbing red start button (said to evoke the “heartbeat” of the car), leaving the dial right in the palm of the hand. The rings motor back up when the engine is shut off. OooOOOOooh.
Now, while the multiple rings don’t appear to have translated into this development mule, nor can we tell if the dial will rise or the surround piece will fall (or both?), it is clear that the dial will become a new Jaguarism. It also appears that the ignition button won’t throb, which is just as well. We also hope JaguarDrive’s mounting piece is more lovingly integrated in production.
Tranny Remains Intact
Importantly, JaguarDrive does not indicate the presence of a whole new transmission, but is merely an aesthetically appealing—not to mention Bond-like—way to actuate the current Jaguar automatic.
Green Bus - runs on Veg Oil
I saw this at Deveroux Beach in Marblehead yesterday, came all the way from Cali.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Cracking open the iPhone
The iPhone blends a revolutionary touch-screen interface, media player, and smart phone into a slick package.
After waiting in line, spending $600, signing a two-year AT&T contract and activating the iPhone, CNET News.com sister site TechRepublic decided that the next sensible action was to take the thing apart. Get a look at the hardware inside the 8GB iPhone and see whether they managed to get it back together in working condition.
What follows is a step-by-step summary of their experience disassembling the iPhone, as part of TechRepublic's Cracking Open series
http://news.com.com/2300-1041_3-6195069.html?tag=st.gall
Vietnam: The next offshoring hot spot?
Vietnam is tipped to become a more popular outsourcing destination than both China and India within the next five years.
The bold claim has been made by recruitment company Harvey Nash, which recently acquired Ho Chi Minh-based recruitment business SilkRoad for $1.8 million.
Harvey Nash cited the fact that Vietnam has the second-highest gross domestic product growth after China and that it's now the third-largest offshore-services destination in Southeast Asia.
The Vietnamese labor pool also has about 80,000 IT graduates, a figure that is increasing by 9,000 per year. More than half of Vietnam's 84 million population is under 25 years old, and 83 percent of all graduates are science-based.
But Mark Kobayashi-Hillary, co-author of Global Services: Moving to a Level Playing Field, said Vietnam's growth still pales into comparison against that of China and India, which are each churning out 2.5 million graduates per year.
"There would have to be unbelievable growth in Vietnam. But it's not really about one country competing with another. We are moving towards global services, and the whole pie is getting bigger," he said.
Companies already outsourcing IT services to Vietnam include Honda Motor and Intel.
"With a growing and youthful IT workforce, low costs and high aspirations to develop its software services," SilkRoad CEO Marc Voss said in a statement, "Vietnam is a natural offshore location and has all the ingredients to become the leading market choice in the next few years."
Tradeking- Smart Money's #1 Discount broker
Chismillionare uses Scottrade beacause of their superior customer service, 7 dollar trades, and myriad of easy to get to local offices. However, their dowdy website and mutual fund choices may make Tradeking worth a look. Tradeking has $4.95 trades, 65 cent option contracts(with a slick P&L calculator ), easy capital gains tracking, an ETF center, 34% moreMutual Funds available than Scottrade, dividend reinvestment which Scottrade lacks, easy fund withdrawal online, and everyone's favorite- lots of fixed income choices(Bonds to the layperson).
Also not critical to a sophisticated investor but novel nontheless is the significant blog/community aspect present at Tradeking as well as easy to learn and follow learning center (Particularly of use is the intro to options trading).
Check them out-
https://www.tradeking.com/
Monday, July 9, 2007
Sony cutting price of PS3 by $100
Sony Corp., responding to one of the biggest criticisms of its new videogame console, slashed the price of the PlayStation 3 by $100 in an effort to increase sales.
The price cut, effective in the U.S. beginning today, reduces the cost of the PS3 to $499
With the cut, the PS3 is now modestly more expensive than Microsoft's $480 Xbox 360 Elite, the high-end version of the Microsoft console most closely resembling the PS3. While the Xbox 360 Elite has a larger hard disk than the PS3 for storing games and other content downloaded from the Internet, it lacks an optical disk drive similar to the PS3's capable of playing high-definition movies.
Chismillionare still prefers the Wii for its innovative game play, but his Finance degree sees an arbitrage opportunity if you want to watch HD movies as well. With the PS3, you get a great Blu Ray player for $499 while getting a cutting edge gaming platform for free!!!
Biggest Baddest BBQ in the land- now this will create suburban envy!
This monster bbq grill has ten primary burners (20,000 BTU each), an infrared burner (another 30,000 BTU), a side burner (still another 20,000 BTU) for a total of 250,000 BTU - that's some major heat! The Propane version takes *TWO* LP tanks (they are enclosed in the far left and right cabinets) which are needed to keep this monster going. For the Natural Gas option, they recommend at least a 1/2" inner diameter pipe with minimum 7" water column pressure. You can convert it from LP to NG and when I fire up all the burners, the gas meter spins about as fast as my electric meter did when I had my halloween decorations and 22,000 Christmas Lights going! ;-) as my electric meter did when I had 22,000 Christmas Lights going! ;-)
Additionals features/items include a spice rack, soft cover (over 15 feet long), dual tank gauges, very large enclosed area underneath (you can lie down inside of it!), rotissaree (two internal support "bars" are added to brace it due to the length), 120 VAC electric ignitor system with some sort of automotive-type transformer coil that must put out 20,000+ volts when you push any of the three ignitor buttons (you oughta see/hear it spark!), counter-balanced lid (it's surprisingly easy to open/close it), 3 temperature gauges, lotsa other misc. bells & whistles, almost 2,000 square inches of cooking surface, and tons of stainless steel. I haven't seen 'em on eBay, but shipping costs would be fortune as this puppy must weigh over 500 pounds and is a GIANT!
It also comes with serious bragging rights - size does matter when it comes to BBQ Grill's ... so this is not only the biggest, but also the best BBQ Grill!
Comapre 5 star crash rating vs one star
The Chinese may build cheap toys and clothes, but when it comes to autos, best to go with quality over price.
The Lexus' performance in these tests is dang near perfect, with the car's passenger cell structure barely deforming as crush zones suck up the impact. The Lexus IS got a "five-star" rating.
The second video is of the Chinese-made Brilliance BS6 undergoing the same 40-mph barrier tests. And it fails those tests in a disastrous, sickening way that would likely prove fatal to both driver and passengers.
Using a Robot to Teach Human Social Skills
Emmet Cole 07.09.07 2:00 AM
Children with autism are often described as robotic: They are emotionless. They engage in obsessive, repetitive behavior and have trouble communicating and socializing.
Now, a humanoid robot designed to teach autistic children social skills has begun testing in British schools.
Known as KASPAR (Kinesics and Synchronisation in Personal Assistant Robotics), the $4.33 million bot smiles, simulates surprise and sadness, gesticulates and, the researchers hope, will encourage social interaction amongst autistic children.
Developed as part of the pan-European IROMEC (Interactive Robotic Social Mediators as Companions ) project, KASPAR has two "eyes" fitted with video cameras and a mouth that can open and smile.
Children with autism have difficulty understanding and interpreting people's facial expressions and body language, says Dr. Ben Robins, a senior research fellow at the University of Hertfordshire's Adaptive Systems Research Group, who leads the multi-national team behind KASPAR.
"Human interaction can be very subtle, with even the smallest eyebrow raise, for example, having different meanings in different contexts," Robins said. "It is thought that autistic children cut themselves off from interacting with other humans because, for them, this is too much information and it is too confusing for them to understand."
With this in mind, the team designed KASPAR to express emotion consistently and with the minimum of complexity.
KASPAR's face is made of silicon-rubber supported on an aluminum frame. Eight degrees of freedom in the head and neck and six in the arms and hands enable movement.
The researchers hope that the end result is a human-like robot that can act as a "social mediator" for autistic children, a steppingstone to improved social interaction with other children and adults.
"KASPAR provides autistic children with reliability and predictability. Since there are no surprises, they feel safe and secure," Robins said, adding that the purpose is not to replace human interaction and contact but to enhance it.
Robins has already tested some imitation and turn-taking games with the children and his preliminary findings are positive.
"When I first started testing, the children treated me like a fly on the wall," he said. "But each one of them, in their own time, started to open themselves up to me. One child in particular, after weeks on end of ignoring me, came and sat in my lap and then took my hand and brought me to the robot, to share the experience of KASPAR with me."
Using robots to interact with children is nothing new, although there's been a lot of new research lately into this kind of work. The Robota dolls, a series of mini humanoid bots developed as part of the AURORA project, have been in use as educational toys since 1997.
The Social Robotics Lab at Yale is collaborating with a robotics team from the university’s department of computer science to develop Nico, a humanoid robot designed to detect vulnerabilities for autism in the first year of life.
Relying on a robot to teach human social skills might seem counterintuitive, but autism presents a special case, said Dr. Cathy Pratt, director of the Indiana Resource Center for Autism at Indiana University.
"Autistic kids often interact better with inanimate objects than with other people, so a project like this makes sense and might lead to a safe way for these kids to learn social skills," she said.
However, autistic children often don’t make the connection between what they have learned in a training situation and the outside world, said Dr. Gary Mesibov, a professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina and editor of the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
"I think this project will still be worthwhile, even if the children don’t fully generalize what they have learned to the real world," Mesibov said. "But the key question facing the researchers is whether the autistic children will be able to apply what they have learned from KASPAR in different situations and contexts."
Face recognition and emotion processing is a major area of deficit for autistic children and hampers their social development, said Dr. Jennifer Pinto-Martin, director of the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research and Epidemiology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Although autistic children often respond well to training, the process can be very labor intensive and the quality of the trainer is paramount, Pinto-Martin said. "People who work in this area need more creative ways to train around the deficits of autism. The quality and consistency of the trainer can be hard to control, but that's not the case with a robot.
"There is interactive computer software and video out there for testing and interaction, but the idea of using a robot trainer like KASPAR is a creative and wonderful step beyond current technologies and techniques," she said.
The project is due to end in October 2009.
Chess Chat and Cheap gas- the Iphones best apps
While the handheld device lacks support for native applications -- the kind users can download and install -- developers have been busy building programs for the iPhone's version of the Safari web browser. It may not be the most ideal platform for adding functionality to the iPhone, but it works. By squishing down and optimizing their browser-based apps, developers have managed to add a great deal of value to the sleek black device.
Here's a look at the best iPhone web apps so far.
A World of Widgets
Given the small screen size, the iPhone is ideal for widgets -- single-serving apps that do one thing, and one thing well.
To replicate Apple's Dashboard widget interface on your iPhone, try Widgetop. Its slick interface offers quick access to Wikipedia searches, RSS feeds and better-than-average looking sticky notes, complete with custom fonts and colors.
Some of the apps in Widgetop duplicate features already on the iPhone, but unique offerings exist as well -- a site directory includes dozens of customized apps ranging from webcams to quote-of-the-day widgets. Also, signing up at the site will allow you to save a customized widget layout.
Another entry in the widget space is Kudit.com, but its services aren't free. There are some fun apps here, but the listings are nowhere near as extensive as Widgetop. And really, who wants to pay $2 for a Magic 8-ball widget?
Game On
The iPhone doesn't ship with any cool time-wasting games to get you through a boring commute -- rather surprising, since even the iPod has a few.
Halo they're not, but as long as you have a decent Wi-Fi connection, you can play Sudoku, Chess and Tic-Tac-Toe on the iPhone. There's also Diamenty, a very addicting Bejeweled-like game. Dozens of other small games are also available through Widgetop's interface.
Chat Me UpIChat for iPhone is web-based solution written in JavaScript that makes up for the iPhone's lack of a real AIM client. You can download the source code and host it on your own server for better security, but if you'd like to take it for a spin, point your iPhone to Publictivity, which is hosting a demo version. Sessions are limited to ten minutes, but we didn't run into any problems. While it's ideal with a wireless connection, it's not too bad over EDGE, either.
If you're not an AIM user, just point Safari at Meebo.com, a web-based chat service that supports all the major protocols, including AIM, MSN, Yahoo and ICQ. It may not be optimized for the iPhone yet, but it works, and it should be ready for regular use soon.
Office Docs to Go
Even before the iPhone was released, Zoho hacked together an iPhone-optimized version of the its online office suite. IZoho offers access to Zoho Writer, Sheet, Show and Creator, though only Writer has read and write support thus far. The Zoho Team reports they're working on read/write support for the entire suite, but you'll have to settle for only being able to type into the word processor for the time being.
IZoho performed admirably in our testing, but it's definitely one for Wi-fi -- it took the better part of ten minutes to fully load the Writer editing interface over AT&T's EDGE network.
Read My FeedsA few small widgets made for collecting RSS news feeds on your iPhone have already sprung up. Widgetop offers one, but Google Reader still rules. Google offers a mobile version of its app, but David Cann has developed a very nice skin for Google Reader which makes it even easier to browse your feeds on the iPhone.
Because Cann's Google Reader skin is actually a JavaScript bookmarklet, you'll need to drag the link up to the toolbar in Safari, then add that bookmarklet to your iPhone by syncing through iTunes. From there, just navigate to Google Reader (the standard version, not the mobile version), open your bookmarks and hit the bookmarklet for the skin. This will cause Google Reader to reload and display your subscriptions as a narrow list which you can navigate by tunneling in horizontally -- much better than Google's default mobile version.
A word of warning: This one has crashed the iPhone's version of Safari a couple of times during testing.
Take the IPhones ShoppingThe iPhone's portability makes it an ideal place to store your to-do lists, which makes Apple's decision not to offer list-keeping all the more curious.
That's all right though, because OneTrip, by far the simplest app in this list, is also the most useful. The ingenious interface lets you quickly organize and build a web-based shopping list on your iPhone. Then, when you're at the store, check off items as you find them. OneTrip uses cookies to remember what's on your list the next time you visit the site. Also, as far as we know, OneTrip was the first third party app for the iPhone.
If you need to fill up the car with gas on the way home, use Gas.app. Plug in your ZIP code and you'll get a list of the cheapest gas in your area, complete with maps.
Get SocialWhen you're done editing docs or shopping and it's time to geek out, iPhonified versions of del.icio.us and Digg are available. Both are pretty simple, but at least you won't feel left out at tonight's party.
Other ways to stay culture-current: browse your friends' Flickr photos with the iPhone-optimized iPhlickr, find the closest screening of Transformers with Showtimes and scan the day's headlines with iActu, a very nice looking news site optimized for the small screen.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Uni-Directional WIFI Range Extender
http://www.instructables.com/id/EQARE4I72GEPUCHTHU/
compliments of Jason Leon
Imperial History of the Middle East
This is very cool!!!http://redir.mivzakon.co.il/redir.aspx?id=7001
New Mexico's Pot Connection
New Mexico is set to become the first U.S. state to set up a cultivation and distribution system for medical marijuana,........
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3348177&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
The Loopwing Personal Wind Turbine
This loopy looking item is a striking wind turbine design with some interesting features. A Japanese company is offering this small-scale wind turbine that touts an amazingly low 1.6m/sec (3.5 mph) minimum generation speed (compared with 8-11 mph for many turbines.)
The company claims a number of benefits for the Loopwing turbine attributed to the unusual configuration of the blades. Because there are no blade tips, the Loopwing doesn't have tip vortex effects, and is therefore much quieter. This also reduces vibration, which helps with both noise and extending the life of the turbine and generator. The blade configuration is also responsible for its low start speed.
Check out this awesome broken-english press material:
The company claims a number of benefits for the Loopwing turbine attributed to the unusual configuration of the blades. Because there are no blade tips, the Loopwing doesn't have tip vortex effects, and is therefore much quieter. This also reduces vibration, which helps with both noise and extending the life of the turbine and generator. The blade configuration is also responsible for its low start speed.
Check out this awesome broken-english press material:
People witnessing a test model in operation gave high evaluation saying that there is no noise at all. The unique-shaped blade has self-stalling capability and it can avoid over-speeding. Loopwing’s rotation has globular trajectory and it can deflect smoothly even in gust, for example in a place on the roof of a building where the strong wind blows.There you have it...it's all about the globular trajectory avoiding over-speeding.
The Loopwing turbine appears to making the rounds of Japanese trade shows, and they have secured a US patent. So it's possible that it will be coming, but as yet there doesn't seem to be a North American distributor. Via: Metaeffi
Ninjas
Okay, here's one of my favorite sites. I had no idea how much I liked ninjas until my brother put me on to this one: http://www.realultimatepower.net/
Hate Mail is especially hilarious. This may not be your thing but I love ninjas.
Kim
Hackers Bypass iPhone Limits
Less than one week after the much-ballyhooed release of Apple Inc.'s iPhone, hackers have figured out ways to override some of the restrictions imposed by Apple and AT&T Inc., the device's exclusive service provider.
But while the hacks are getting high visibility on the Web, their use likely will be limited to the most tech-savvy iPhone owners. Most customers probably will decide the hacks are too complicated or not worth the trouble. Also, Apple is skilled at battling hackers and is likely to figure out ways to overcome the overrides.
The most popular hack so far is targeted at the requirement that all iPhone users sign a wireless-service contract with AT&T. Without it, none of the device's features are supposed to work, including its Web browser and iPod music player.
Old Friend
Several hackers have posted on the Web step-by-step instructions on how to activate the iPhone's Web browser and iPod without signing up for an AT&T contract. One of the hackers is Jon Lech Johansen, a Norwegian software expert who infuriated Hollywood by creating a program that allowed customers to copy DVDs onto their computers. He has also worked on ways to alter the iTunes software so songs could be downloaded to devices other than iPods.
The iPhone from Apple and AT&T
Several iPhone users confirmed that the iPhone hacks worked. Jean Sebastien, a television director in Paris, paid $850 on eBay for his iPhone. No European wireless carrier is yet able to offer service for the device. Nevertheless, Mr. Sebastien said he followed Mr. Johansen's instructions and got it to work as a Web browser and iPod.
But it is doubtful many consumers will follow this route. To do so would mean buying an iPhone, which sells for $499 or $599, and only using it as an iPod and Web browser. Moreover, the hacked Web browser, which is designed to work in all areas reached by AT&T's wireless network, will only work in Wi-Fi hot spots.
More Carriers
Hackers are working on much more substantial overrides, according to comments on blogs and consumer Web sites. For example, they are trying to figure out ways to get the iPhone to work on the networks of other carriers. This is especially desirable overseas, where the iPhone isn't on the market. "It will be possible in two weeks," Mr. Sebastien predicted.
Hackers also are trying -- so far unsuccessfully -- to download unapproved applications off the Web and use the iPhone as a Wi-Fi phone. One Web posting gives iPhone owners guidance on how to activate the device with a cheap prepaid plan from AT&T rather than a two-year contract. But a comment on that site from a user said the hack doesn't work.
AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel said the company is "monitoring the situation and, if necessary, will take appropriate action to stop it." An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.
Chafing at Restrictions
Some iPhone owners said they are justified in trying to circumvent Apple and AT&T's restrictions. They maintained that because they own the expensive phone, they should be free to use it on any network and download any application.
But Mr. Siegel said the iPhone "explicitly requires the customer to sign up for a wireless voice and data plan from AT&T." Any attempt to bypass this requirement is an "illegitimate use" of the phone," he said.
Consumer advocates have been critical of the iPhone requirements. Tim Wu, a law professor at Columbia University, said that in many other countries consumers can use their handsets on any network they choose. "I'm not sure these are terms that consumers should be subjected to," he said.
Apple has long played a cat-and-mouse game with hackers, often coming out on top. Successful hacks of iTunes, for example, often last a short time, until Apple releases a software update.
Philips Sonicare Flexcare w /UV chamber to kill germs
As effective as Philips' Sonicare electric toothbrushes may be, one thing I've always felt they lacked was radiation. Well, my dream has come true now that Philips has developed the FlexCare toothbrush, which includes a UV sanitizer built into the charger. After you're done brushing, you remove the head from the brush and seal it in the chamber. One press of a button later and the sanitizer bathes the head with ultraviolet radiation, sterilizing the bristles and preventing any germ buildup. And possibly giving it a tan.
The FlexCare has other upgrades, too: The head's base is smaller to make it easier to clean, and there are multiple brushing modes, including one for sensitive mouths and another for massaging gums. The FlexCare is coming in August for $180. If you just bought one of Sonicare's current brushes, you can still get in on the UV-radiation fun with a standalone sanitizer for $50. See a couple of pics of that after the jump. — Peter Pachal
The FlexCare has other upgrades, too: The head's base is smaller to make it easier to clean, and there are multiple brushing modes, including one for sensitive mouths and another for massaging gums. The FlexCare is coming in August for $180. If you just bought one of Sonicare's current brushes, you can still get in on the UV-radiation fun with a standalone sanitizer for $50. See a couple of pics of that after the jump. — Peter Pachal
Personal wind turbine design is 3x more efficient
If you don't mind placing an object that looks like an egg beater on your roof, you might someday be able to use a personal wind turbine like this to make your electric meter spin backwards. Ben Storan's design won a $6302 British Standards Institute (BSI) Sustainability Design Award, praised for its efficiency and quietude.
What makes it so special? The odd-looking configuration can be quickly removed from a roof, saving it from hurricane force winds and such, and it uses unusual vertically oriented turbine blades and lightweight materials to enhance its efficiency. The result of this unconventional design is a power generator that can produce 1.2-kW of electricity in a 12-meter-per-second wind, and that's three times more efficient than competing designs. — Charlie White
What makes it so special? The odd-looking configuration can be quickly removed from a roof, saving it from hurricane force winds and such, and it uses unusual vertically oriented turbine blades and lightweight materials to enhance its efficiency. The result of this unconventional design is a power generator that can produce 1.2-kW of electricity in a 12-meter-per-second wind, and that's three times more efficient than competing designs. — Charlie White
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Big Green Egg- World's Best Grill !!!!
Here are some of the benefits of the Big Green Egg:
- Fast lighting -- ready to cook in 10 minutes with no lighter fluid
- Ceramic walls retain heat with accurate temperature control and no hot spots
- Fuel efficient so there is no need to add more charcoal while cooking; unburned charcoal can be reused
- Constant tending not required; with enclosed cooking there are no grease flare-ups
- Withstands temperature extremes from below 0° to 1800°F
- Can be used year around, even in freezing temperatures and rain
- Surface stays cooler and is safer around children than metal grills
- Weatherproof ceramics won't rust
- Handsome, decorative and unique design
- Produces the juiciest, most succulent food you'll ever taste
http://www.biggreenegg.com/index.html
Fustic House in Barbados is the way to go
Sleeps 12 in style---Four couples(three families and the grand parents) makes it 350 a night!
http://www.fustichouse.com/
Controlling Lasers with Chaos
Adding noise to telecom lasers could potentially boost bandwidth
http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/19010/?a=f
Even Ferrari Is Going Green
The new Millechili concept car unveiled by the Italian sports-car maker is shorter and lighter than the Enzo. It comes with a twin turbocharged, direct injection 3.0-liter V-8, which produces 550 hp. Company officials say it would be faster than the current 800 hp V-12 that powers Ferrari’s FXX super car, yet it would use 42 percent less fuel and carbon emissions would drop by nearly half.
Source: AutoWeek
Article
Source: AutoWeek
Article
Second ATT-Free iPhone Activation Hack
The iPhone Development Project reports that it's uncovered a method of activating iPhones without hooking up with AT&T. The project's main aims are to unlock the device for use with other carriers, and get homebrew up and running:
"Using a "known" token (one used to activate an iPhone legitimately), we can activate an iPhone even after deactivation. We can use this "known" token to activate multiple phones, but the token is believed to contain identifying information so we have not provided a token. I want to emphasize that a known token will work on any phone, and once you have a known token you can use wifi, iPod, etc."
Though using typically obscure nicknames and appelations, the hackers are innocent as rabbits in what they're trying to accomplish — the third major to-do, for example, is to get dial-up networking and modem use running.
China's Bubbly Aquatics Center Nears Completion
A solid block of water appears to have rained down on Beijing's Olympic Green. While most architecture buffs have been focused on Herzog & de Meuron's National Stadium -- dubbed the Bird's Nest for its curved shape and overlapping structural supports -- its neighbor, the National Aquatics Center, just might steal the show come opening day. Designed by Australia's PTW Architects, engineering firm Arup, and China State Construction Design International, the so-called Water Cube has a structural system unlike any other building. No wonder -- it's based on an age-old physics problem related to bubbles.
Left: Bird's Nest or bubbles? The refreshing Water Cube rises in front of the main Olympic stadium in Beijing. PTW, Arup and CCDI won an international competition to build the National Aquatics Center with a design that resembles a heavy-duty block of flavor-free Jell-O.
Left: Bird's Nest or bubbles? The refreshing Water Cube rises in front of the main Olympic stadium in Beijing. PTW, Arup and CCDI won an international competition to build the National Aquatics Center with a design that resembles a heavy-duty block of flavor-free Jell-O.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
College is Expensive
18 year old offers her virginity for £10,000
http://www.maltastar.com/pages/msfullart.asp?an=13241
Monday, July 2, 2007
This week in Pictures
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/06/photogalleries/wip-week35/index.html
click through all the stories on the left, there are six
Worlds Largest Corn Labyrinth
An aerial view of the world’s largest corn labyrinth in Dalian, Northeast China’s Liaoning Province, June 28, 2007.
The so called Travel of the Brave, covering an area of 340 mu, is set to open mid-July this year. It will take at least one hour to finish the shortest route.
Zapz Custom Insoles
Pop em in the microwave, step on em, and then presto- custom molded insoles.
http://www.masterfitenterprises.com/zapz.pdf
Greasy Pole
I attended the Greasy Pole event in Gloucester this past weekend, crazy stuff.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juicebox/sets/510909/show/
http://www.stpetersfiesta.org/gpmain.htm
Mechanical Fingers Give Strength, Speed to Amputees
If the X-Finger looks like a prop from The Terminator, relax. It isn't out to kill you, and it isn't robotic. In fact, it's a mechanical prosthetic finger so effective it provides articulation as fast and flexible as the real thing.
Invented by Dan Didrick of Naples, Florida, the device has no batteries, electronics, servos or actuators. Instead, each digit incorporates a simple mechanism which, when pushed by the surviving part of the wearer's finger, curls a set of artificial phalanges.
"Having a body-powered device leaves little room for mechanical failure," Didrick said, adding that there aren't any robotic medical alternatives. "Many people assumed a device such as mine already existed."
In practice, however, robotic fingers are always attached to robotic hands and arms. Losing an entire limb, however unpleasant, allows the prosthetic manufacturer more room to conceal complicated electronics.
Made of steel and blue plastic, Didrick's X-Finger allows for a surprising degree of dexterity: Enough to grip (and swing) a golf club, operate a keyboard or even play musical instruments.
Hacked: iPhone Firmware Already in the Wild
That didn't take long. The folks at the iPhone Dev Wiki have got hold of the iPhone firmware, grabbing it from the iTunes server (presumably it is the software used when you hit the "restore" button within iTunes). The disk images contained within were encrypted, but that doesn't stop an intrepid hacker.
So, what do we know? The iPhone runs on an ARM chip, the Samsung S5L8900. No surprises there. It also has a 3D graphics co-processor. There is also a list of secret phone codes, for accessing engineering functions, and a whole slew of component info, probably only of interest to real hardcore hardware fans.
The question is, when will the hacking start? The Apple TV got a lot of great new features from resourceful crackers and Apple turned a blind eye. We'll wait and see what turns up in the next few days, but if the activation crack promised for tomorrow actually works, expect Apple and AT&T get those lawyers primed.
Wiki [iPhone Dev]
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
Jeff Han on a Better Interface
The inventor of the multitouch screen that influenced the iPhone displays his work.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid79489195/bclid60818931/bctid1078637479
Duke University researchers have developed an ultrasound endoscope that will give surgeons a 3-D view of the brain during and after an operation
Thursday, June 28, 2007
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